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First off let me say hi as I just joined this forum after lurking for quite some time, you drew me out.

Second, Wendy you just need to take a second and catch your breath. Fish keeping really isn't hard and is one of the most enjoyable hobbies though if you keep a reef like me it's basically like raising a child w/ the amount of time and $$$ you put into it. Everyone will lose a fish at one time or another and while devastating emotionally or financially, depending on what you have, it happens.

Your loaches being in a 5 gal tank is probably disconcerting as the tank isn't cycled but that's ok. If the tank isn't cycling or you just reset it by accidentally killing all the bacteria, which I doubt you've done, you can just do daily PWC's of ≈10% to keep ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate down til they can be transferred to the 52G tank. While this isn't ideal it works in a pinch.

Two suggestions:

1) To reduce your stress level and increase your peace of mind against getting ick again I strongly suggest getting a quarantine tank, QT, for all newcomers to go into. If you don't want to shell out the $$$ for another tank once your 52 is cycled and stocked use your 10 gal as a quarantine. I recommend a sponge filter, heater, fake plants, and little to no substrate. If you have a substrate make sure it's easy to clean and shallow. When I had a dedicated QT I would remove the sponge and microwave it, yes microwave, but you could also boil it, and then i would seed the sponge in the DT for several days before I was planning on getting a new fish. Once the sponge is seeded put into the QT and it let run for a day or so and you have a cycled tank.

As for the QT, ALL FISH will go into this before going into the main display tank. I QT my fish between 2-4 weeks. During that time I will often treat for parasites with a Copper Sulfate treatment for 14-21 days, and I only treat for bacterial infections if there are obvious symptoms (ragged fins, red spots, etc.). Make sure you do 10-15% water changes every other day to keep the tank healthy.

2) Another idea is to get a refugium. These can be expensive if you buy one but they aren't hard to make yourself. It is basically a heavily planted tank that you can also have a DSB, deep sand bed, in which will give you a 1-2 punch against ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You can build or buy a cheap hang on the back, HOB, overflow and plump it into the refugium and have a return pump pump the water back to the main display. I use mine to practice my aquascaping.

I have 2-29 gallon DT's, display tanks, and a 20 gallon tank that both DT's feed into. I use my 20G as a sump, refugium, quarantine, and hospital. I built 2 custom HOB overflows each with a durso standpipe to run from each tank to the refugium. I run UV sterilizers to keep the
DT's parasite free which also doubles as an algae killer to control/ eliminate algae.

Tried using nylon stocking to protect all the filters in-takes / out-takes, but such fine material doesn't seem enough to allow free water/air flow---even when it is still perfectly clean of debris. All filters i put the nylon stocking on sounded like laboring under effort to work. Removed stocking....normal sound.

Then got different idea. Just started this week using it. Bought netted polyester material at sewing shop. Fabric has small holes, like fish net. Sewed fabric (with fishing-line not cotton thread) into bags with draw strings. Easy to slip on and off filter to clean when needed. Working great.

And yes, Chloral coral, took your suggestion along with a dozen other people who suggested same thing.....use a quarantine tank for new fish.

All fish that have had for past 6 weeks are now in the 52 gallon which is already cycled. The earthquake you felt today was my jumping up and down with joy from the water test results after they have been in their new home 36 hours. Water tests all PERFECT!!! All the fish look healthy and enjoying lots of swimming place.....even the loaches (only 3 left since others died in the filter before I protected it) are out in the open streaking from one end of tank to other through the curtain bubbler like roller coasters!!

Got SOME of my original fish back from the friend that was keeping them during the fishless cycling, and they are in quarantine in the 10 gallon. Also perfect water parameters after 36 hours! Another jumping for joy earthquake!!

I can't thank everyone enough for all your help. I look back and remember how worried was about so many things and have to laugh. (Freaked out once the first week thought fish were dead or dying only to discover they were sleeping!). And yet there is still so much more to learn!! This hobby is 100 times more complicated than ever imagined,....yet makes it all the more satisfying and relaxing when have success!!

(I look back and remember how worried was about so many things and have to laugh.) Huh?

You mean you look back to 2 days ago when you were scared to put them in the tank?

Glad all is well and fish are fine.

"look back" to 5 months ago when first bought the tank and was researching all sorts of things how to set it up, start it, stock it, 2 months ago when first put the fish in the tank, 1 month ago when first saw white spots and freaked what it was....and so on...... Any stress now from the fish is nothing compared to what it was.....Yeah....I'm a stressed out person.....like I said in another thread....maybe the fish will teach me something no other human has been able to do....how to take things in stride, slow, and patient, and....HOW TO RELAX!!! I'm loving this hobby more and more every day!!